Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks
,
Events
,
Fraud Management & Cybercrime
(Retd.) Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant on Hybrid War, Cyber Deterrence and AI Risks
Tom Field (SecurityEditor) •
March 30, 2026
(Retd.) Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant, former national cyber security coordinator, India, and chairman, Cyber Security Association of India
Cyber conflict has evolved into a central instrument of geopolitical power, shaping how nations project influence and defend critical infrastructure, said (Retd.) Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant, former national cyber security coordinator, India, and chairman, Cyber Security Association of India. In modern hybrid warfare, nations combine cyber, economic and military tools to achieve strategic goals.
See Also: How Cyber Deterioration Raises Enterprise Risk
Pant said cyber strategy must move beyond policy statements and define execution with clear ownership, funding and timelines. He recommends a whole-of-nation model in which government, businesses, academia, and citizens share responsibility.
“Unless there is deterrence, the attacks will not stop. And if you see some of the new strategies that are coming out from the developed nations, they shifted from cybersecurity to cyber power,” Pant said.
In this video interview with Information Security Media Group at RSAC Conference 2026, Pant also discussed:
- The evolution of cyber conflict into hybrid and multi-domain warfare;
- Closing the gaps between cyber strategy and operational execution;
- The role of AI, global cooperation, and cyber deterrence in defense.
In his previous role as national cyber security coordinator, Pant coordinated cybersecurity across sectors, elevating India from 47th to 10th in the UN’s 2020 Global Cybersecurity Index. He previously headed the Army’s cyber training establishment for three years and has earned three Presidential awards.